Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 39: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MAN FROM THE RIO GRANDE. Colts on the way. Coming to the open- ing, he never turned to look back at the posse, but plunged right in. The rest, encouraged by Jake’s boldness, moved up near the mouth of the cave and strained their ears. But the only sounds they could catch were the scraping and slipping of Jake’s hobnailed boots, growing faint- er and fainter as they listened. - “We had him wrong, boys!” Judge Wilson muttered hoarsely. ‘“ After just what we seen old Jake do, with our own eyes, we can’t never call him an old bluff no more. Maybe he’s a little windy, perhaps, but he’s game tuh th’ core. I never seen such cold-blooded nerve! And that killer’s in thar some- wheres—jist as sure as you're born!” “Yuh says it right, judge,” another moaned. “ We all figured out old Jake for a big blow what didn’t have any real nerve at all, but none of us ever had a suspicion he was such a fool— tuh think he’d crawl right into that killer’s guns! Looks like we were all twisted up—Jake’s the dumbest but nerviest man alive.” “Tt wasn’t right fur us tuh send him in thar, even if he was so blamed anxious to go,” another growled. “ That killer’s bound—’ Two loud reports rang out from the mouth of the cavern, followed by a heavy thud. The crowd outside stared at each other, wild eyed. ‘Wonder which got that—poor old Jake or th’ killer?’ the judge groaned. “Lord knows!” another whined. “But if it wasn’t Jake, he oughta be comin’ out soon,” They waited for what seemed an eternity, but Jake did not appear, nor could they catch the faintest sound. ‘‘ Maybe they got each other!’ some one finally suggested. “ Thar was two shots, one fur each man.” The red-headed fellow sprang to- ward the opening. ‘“ We can’t wait all week tuh find out. I’m goin’ tuh take a ay Who’s got th’ torch?” A 177 The miner’s torch quickly passed through the crowd until it reached the red-headed fellow’s extended palm. He lighted it and held it in his left hand, while his right snatched a large Colt from his belt. Then he proceeded cautiously into the cave while the rest held their breath. In a short time the red head came crawling out of the cave, a mixture of horror and surprise written on his freckled face. ‘“ Somethin’ mighty strange has hap- pened inside!” he gasped. ‘A few of yuh fellows come in—I need some help.” Paying no attention to the many questions hurled at him, the red head turned and started back into the cave, with a few of the bolder members of the posse following close behind. With the light of their leader’s torch the party soon emerged from the nar- row passageway into a large, high- walled cavern which seemed to extend far into the darkness beyond. The red head hastened down this subter- ranean chamber, pausing abruptly be- fore an indiscernible mass pinned be- tween a large rock and the wall of the cave. | “It’s Jake—he got caught somehow with a fallin’ rock!’ he whispered softly, lowering his torch until it dis- closed a pair of human legs protruding from underneath the large rock. “ But I can’t find th’ other feller anywheres around. He must be hidin’ farther in. All of you give me a lift tuh move this rock till we see if thar’s any life . left in th’ old man. Then we'll dig that other feller out.” Willing hands soon rolled the large rock to one side, bringing Jake’s bat- tered body to view. The old man’s gray hair was colored with blood, but he still clutched a stx-shooter in each hand. And by the intermittent move- ment of his flannel-covered chest, they saw that life was not totally extinct. Quickly examining Jake’s guns, they perceived he had fired both shots. CORMICLOO© (E@